Norway Dashes Cold Water on Bitcoins

Today in international tech news: Norway rejects Bitcoins as currency;
Cambridge researchers build a green supercomputer; China lands on the moon; Google wants its UK privacy case to be moved to California; and Canada becomes the latest to investigate Google on antitrust charges.

By David Vranicar
12/16/13 10:54 AM PT

Norway's government ruled that Bitcoins don't qualify as a real currency, and it will treat them as an asset -- as opposed to a legitimate currency -- that is subject to capital gains tax.

Bitcoins made headlines in Norway in October after a university student who bought US$24 worth of Bitcoins in 2009 suddenly found his account was worth more than $800,000.

Norway is in the bizarre financial situation of perhaps having too strong an economy. There
is concern that the nation's $100,000-plus GDP per capita and $700 billion rainy-day fund have made the nation somewhat lethargic.

Cambridge Builds More Energy-Efficient Supercomputer

Cambridge University researchers have built a supercomputer designed to be incredibly powerful, yes, but also environmentally friendly.

The machine, named "Wilkes" in honor of computer pioneer Maurice Wilkes, will be used to develop a Square Kilometer Array, or SKA, which is a type of radio telescope.

Wilkes has the computer power of 4,000 desktops working simultaneously, but it ranks just 166 among the world's fastest supercomputers. However, it was designed for efficiency -- not raw power,according to its designers.

It ranks No. 2 on the "Green 500," a ranking of the world's most energy-efficient computers.

The case is the first group claim against Google in the UK, and Google would prefer the suit to be heard on its home turf instead of the on the Isle.

"Google's approach that British consumers should travel all the way to California to seek redress for its wrongdoing is arrogant, immoral and a disgrace," said Judith Vidal-Hall, one of the claimants suing Google.

Canada's Competition Bureau says in a federal court filing that Google may have violated the country's antitrust laws. The bureau "has reason to believe" that Google has been up to no good, so to speak, specifically when it comes to giving preferential treatment to its own results and bumping down rivals.